Narrative:

While flying a course of 90 degrees for lexington, ky, with a LORAN 612 at 3500', I saw the egt temperature at red line. My right seat passenger (my wife), on my orders, pushed the emergency search on the LORAN. The nearest airport wa shown to be cps at 11.7 nautical miles, bearing 355 degrees. I throttled back and used just enough power to keep flying. I then changed to 121.5 on the radios and called an emergency 6 times. Receiving no answer, I proceeded to look for cps under missouri and indiana, but did not realize illinois came that far south and it was not well shown on the sectional. I kept calling on 121.5 and landed on cps st louis downtown with no contact. Knowing I was disrupting traffic I then tried to taxi off the runway and taxiway, but could not see how to get to the ramp. After 2 false starts while taxiing I had flipped through the ground frequencys until I hit the right one and then was guided to the ramp. I was told to telephone the tower, which I did. Corrective action for the problem would be to have known the exact temperature on the egt at which the engine peaks (which I do now). For the system of the FAA, make state lines more visible on sectionals and follow their own safety rules and monitor 121.5 at all controled airports! If this had been done there would be no need of this report.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA WITH ENGINE PROBLEM LANDED WITHOUT CLRNC AFTER UNABLE TO FIND TWR FREQ AND UNABLE TO GET ANWER ON 121 PT 5.

Narrative: WHILE FLYING A COURSE OF 90 DEGS FOR LEXINGTON, KY, WITH A LORAN 612 AT 3500', I SAW THE EGT TEMP AT RED LINE. MY RIGHT SEAT PAX (MY WIFE), ON MY ORDERS, PUSHED THE EMER SEARCH ON THE LORAN. THE NEAREST ARPT WA SHOWN TO BE CPS AT 11.7 NAUTICAL MILES, BEARING 355 DEGS. I THROTTLED BACK AND USED JUST ENOUGH PWR TO KEEP FLYING. I THEN CHANGED TO 121.5 ON THE RADIOS AND CALLED AN EMER 6 TIMES. RECEIVING NO ANSWER, I PROCEEDED TO LOOK FOR CPS UNDER MISSOURI AND INDIANA, BUT DID NOT REALIZE ILLINOIS CAME THAT FAR S AND IT WAS NOT WELL SHOWN ON THE SECTIONAL. I KEPT CALLING ON 121.5 AND LANDED ON CPS ST LOUIS DOWNTOWN WITH NO CONTACT. KNOWING I WAS DISRUPTING TFC I THEN TRIED TO TAXI OFF THE RWY AND TXWY, BUT COULD NOT SEE HOW TO GET TO THE RAMP. AFTER 2 FALSE STARTS WHILE TAXIING I HAD FLIPPED THROUGH THE GND FREQS UNTIL I HIT THE RIGHT ONE AND THEN WAS GUIDED TO THE RAMP. I WAS TOLD TO TELEPHONE THE TWR, WHICH I DID. CORRECTIVE ACTION FOR THE PROB WOULD BE TO HAVE KNOWN THE EXACT TEMP ON THE EGT AT WHICH THE ENG PEAKS (WHICH I DO NOW). FOR THE SYS OF THE FAA, MAKE STATE LINES MORE VISIBLE ON SECTIONALS AND FOLLOW THEIR OWN SAFETY RULES AND MONITOR 121.5 AT ALL CTLED ARPTS! IF THIS HAD BEEN DONE THERE WOULD BE NO NEED OF THIS RPT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.